


Stopping For You

by LytynUponCerellia



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 14:29:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8894239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LytynUponCerellia/pseuds/LytynUponCerellia
Summary: Arthur hated taking the bus. That is, until he met fellow passenger Merlin.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Fluff dead ahead.  
> -M

Arthur hated taking the bus.

It wasn’t so much the fact that he hated the bus itself, it was more like he disliked public transportation in general.

Bad things happened to people on the Tube, on planes, in environmentally-challenged, gas fume-expelling buses. People got mugged. People died in accidents. The atmosphere was being steadily clogged by greenhouse gases.

Although, to be honest, he did prefer using public transportation as opposed to his father offering out private planes and helicopters and whatever else he apparently deemed appropriate.

Seriously however, Arthur would have liked to bike, walk, or even run to his workplace. But it was much too far away, and he had to cross half the city to even get close from his house.

Fate loved to mock him.

That morning was as gloomy as any other, gray and dim with a light drizzle of rain. Arthur grumbled to himself and wrapped his long black overcoat tighter around his body.

There were not a lot of people at the stop that day: an old man who stared blankly off into the distance with a sort of cheery vagueness, and a pair of schoolgirls who giggled and displayed their phones to each other with undisguised enthusiasm.

Arthur turned away from them and checked his watch.

Damn. That damned bus was at least 10 minutes late now. He swore quietly under his breath and resigned to complain to the public service if he ever got the chance.

He glared at the empty spot where the bus was supposed to be, and had many enjoyable fantasies about what would happen if he had a variety of weapons to use on it, and a lot more free time on his hands.

15 minutes. One of the schoolgirls dropped her phone into a puddle with a high-pitched cry of dismay. Arthur bent and retrieved it for her. She thanked him profusely until it made him feel rather uncomfortable. He was relieved when she finally turned back to her friend, who was now giggling and pointing at _him_. He sighed, and turned away.

It was a whole 20 minutes before something even slightly interesting happened. Another person jogged up to the stop, panting, and bent at the knees to catch their breath.

Arthur rolled his eyes. Poor time management was something that really got on his nerves. Clearly this person thought it was perfectly proper to show up 20 minutes after the bus was supposed to have come.

He glanced at them in curiosity, and found his gaze drawn.

It was a young man about his age, maybe slightly younger. Slender and pale, with high chiseled cheekbones, wide dark blue eyes, and dark hair that tumbled over his forehead and stuck up slightly at the back, hanging over large, elfin ears.

The man noticed Arthur staring, and he quickly looked away, clearing his throat awkwardly. He always found it extremely embarrassing whenever other people caught him looking at them.

Not that it happened a lot, obviously.

But he couldn’t help it if this particular person had such interesting features…

He snuck another glance, and was astonished to see that the young man was smiling, _actually smiling_ at him.

He had deep dimples, and his eyes narrowed to miniature half-moons as he grinned. It was certainly an infectious look, and Arthur hesitantly smiled back. The man’s smile deepened and grew, until Arthur was fairly sure he was practically glowing from within.

And as if the universe really was mocking him at that point, the bus chose that moment to appear before them, tires spraying mud all over Arthur.

Arthur let out an undignified squawk at the injustice, and swiped frantically at his clothes, trying to get the stains off. He heard a burst of deep laughter beside him, and someone pressed something into his hand. “Here.”

He looked. It was the smiling man, the one who Arthur had thought was so intriguingly attractive. He was offering him a white napkin, which he held out in long, slim fingers.

Arthur accepted it, hastily wiping away the mud on his trousers and coat. “Thanks.”

“It’s my pleasure,” The man said cheerfully. “Happy to help.”

Arthur personally thought looking so happy should be a crime.

Flustered, he clambered onto the bus, and hurriedly took his seat in the back. To both his mingled disappointment and relief, the young man took a seat at the front.

It usually was a long ride, but it felt much shorter than usual. He was sad to see the other man get up a couple stops before his, and head towards the exit.

But before he got off, he turned and flashed that irresistible, ridiculously infectious smile at him, raising one hand in farewell as he left.

That was it. That was all it took.

Arthur knew he had to see that man at least one more time, or die trying.

* * *

 

Arthur did see the same man several times over the course of the week, but was always disappointed by their timing conflicts. He showed up late the next day in hopes that the other man would as well. No such luck, and he had had to sprint after the bus waving his briefcase madly at it in an effort to force it to stop. Sometimes the man was early. Sometimes he was late. Rarely was he ever right on time.

Arthur despaired at ever getting a chance to have a decent talk with him.

Finally, at the end of the week, he showed up at the stop early, hoping that if the man did as well, they could get some time to actually chat for a bit. He was rewarded with the sight of the same dark hair and blue eyes, over a smooth brown jacket.

“Hello.” Arthur said nervously, wringing his hands. Good God, why on Earth was he nervous for?! It was just a conversation.

“Hello, again!” The other man’s eyes lit up in recognition. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“And you’re not late,” Arthur joked.

“No,” The man replied simply, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Although I must say you yourself are quite inconsistent with your timing.”

“You’re one to talk,” Arthur retorted, raising his eyebrows. “Your timing is as consistent as this bus.”

The man chuckled. “Maybe.” He reached out a hand after a moment’s hesitation. “I’m Merlin.”

“Arthur.” He extended his own hand to shake.

“So, Arthur,” Merlin’s eyes twinkled. “I’ve been dying to ask: what are your excuses for being so unpredictable with your bus attendance?”

Arthur was flustered. How was he supposed to answer? _Oh, it’s because I’ve been dying to speak with you ever since I saw you at the stop on Monday and thought you were so attractive and ridiculously charming and I wanted to talk so much more…_

“Oh, uh. You know. Things come up.” He shrugged, trying to play it off as casual.

Merlin had the nerve to raise his eyebrows. “Stuff. I see.”

“And what are your reasons, then, _Mer_ lin?” He retorted.

Merlin shrugged. “Things to do, people to see. Can’t always be bothered with the exact times, you know how it is.” He flashed a sly grin which made Arthur’s heart beat violently fast.

Their conversation spiraled off into different topics, and Arthur for once, was glad the damn bus was late as usual. Merlin was enthusiastic, cheerful, and rather knowledgeable. He was so easy to talk to, Arthur was sure it should be another crime in itself. It was just too good to be true.

He, of course once again cursed the bus as it pulled up to the stop, cutting off their conversation just like that.

Another opportunity had come and gone.

* * *

 

Moments like that happened for the rest of the month, and Arthur felt more and more comfortable with Merlin, who he soon realized was a dork, but an incredible one at that, and made Arthur want to spend time with him every day. Soon, he didn’t even mind the bus that much anymore. Merlin just had that effect on him. It was frankly unnatural.

At the end of the month, Arthur finally gained enough courage to ask Merlin what he really wanted to know. The morning had started off just like any other, and Merlin had bounded up to Arthur at once, beaming, and dressed in his usual brown jacket and jeans. They talked for a while, Arthur’s heart nervously fluttering inside his chest every time Merlin so much as laughed, tossed his head, stared at him for longer than a few lingering seconds.

“Um.” said Arthur finally. “I, uh...I was wondering--”

Merlin looked curious. “I...was wondering...if you’d--” He was sure he was flushing crimson by this point. “If you...wanted to have coffee with me.”

Merlin looked taken aback, and Arthur immediately knew he had blown it.

“Sorry,” He said in a rush. “I mean, obviously, you know, you don’t have to. At all. Sorry about that, so sorry--”

Merlin grabbed his arm before he could run away. “No! I mean, Arthur, wait.”

So Arthur turned back, shame-faced, certain he was going to get rejected in the kindest way possible.

But Merlin was chuckling, shaking his head, his chiseled cheeks a pale pink. “Of course I’d like to go out with you sometime.”

Arthur felt a huge swell of relief. “Really?”

Merlin nodded enthusiastically, and his heart raced. “Of course!”

“Then it’s a date,” Arthur said excitedly. Then he realized what he said. “Uh, I mean, you know. If you think it’s one--”

Merlin cut him off by pressing a light kiss to his cheek. Arthur gaped at him as he pulled away, the heat of his face practically overcoming everything else.

“It’s a date.” He said simply, and Arthur’s heart soared.

The bus arrived, and they both climbed aboard, sitting next to each other for the first time.

Merlin even held his hand, and Arthur rejoiced at the warmth and sturdiness of his palm in his, fingers intertwined.

“You know,” He muttered. “The reason I was so inconsistent before was because I was really trying to find a time when you would be there too.”

Merlin laughed, shaking his head. “Me too.”

And they both laughed throughout the entire bus ride, and Merlin pressed a kiss to his cheek once again before he hopped down the steps to his stop.

In fact, by the end of the ride, Arthur found that he quite liked the bus after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading, hope you enjoyed it! Please feel free to leave comments and reviews below!  
> -M


End file.
